Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Lobbyists Make Bad Abstract Paintings... Just Like Us!

The Politico has a cutesy story about this totally horrible lobbyist guy, Dan Berger. He's a Republican, natch, he's evil, he's feared, etc., etc.... but with a difference! He paints big abstract paintings! Um, wow!

Charitably not addressed in the article is that the paintings, to judge by the single example provided, are terrible:

Where to start? The application of paint is perfunctory at best, and in a way that's neither charming nor interesting. The composition is clumsily lopsided, with its feeble black vertical struggling unsuccessfully in a losing battle with leaden horizontals.

Let's relieve our eyes and look at a successful abstract painting which uses the exact same color scheme, Clyfford Still's 1948-C, a famous canvas which Mr. Berger may have enjoyed seeing at the Hirshhorn :

Not to imply that a Mr. Berger saw the Still painting and said, incorrectly, "Hey! I could do that!" or anything. Heavens, no!

16 comments:

This guy came to town as Katherine Harris' chief of staff. Bet many of you have forgotten her deep commitment to art, undoubtedly the source of her inspiration:

"She has made several trips to Israel, and it was on the first, in 1992, that her camera broke and she was forced to sketch her way across the country. These days, during meetings on Capitol Hill, she sometimes sketches when she is taking notes. She says she has drawn Alan Greenspan and Donald Rumsfeld."

Good or not, it's kind of cool that he's at least giving some creedence to having a creative side. It's like his twisted little stump of a soul is trying to grow back. Maybe he'll even go so far as to get all passionate and give up lobbying for his "art"?

I used to be an art director and illustrator and when I studied fine arts in college I was told one must first be acquainted with reality to create good abstracts.Not a good transition for a lobbyist.I agree- he's a copycat. Or in artsy fartsy terms, derivative.That black splotch looks like he redacted a section of his own painting.